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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · safe · rash · bay · file · stand · race · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. file — a tool
  4. rash — hasty
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — a series
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. race — a contest
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stand — to bear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. file — a document
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com